A New Direction
by BlueSuedeShoes
Summary: Spoilers for Absolute Justice: Essentially a continuation of the episode in which Ollie makes an important discovery: Chloe is, in fact, female.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Comment: WARNING: SPOILERS FOR ABSOLUTE JUSTICE. I just finished watching it and this idea came to me as a continuation for the end. Hope you enjoy! I enjoyed writing this one.**

This was new. Very new. In fact it was just plain _different_, walking Chloe home. The Martian had already left them, going in a separate direction after they left the restaurant.

Chloe was laughing and talking about something that he wasn't really listening to, something to do with Jon'z discovering his love for oreo cookie pie that evening. He didn't honestly hear, though. He was enjoying just watching her talk. She was so animated and so cheerful. It struck him that he hadn't really been around her when she was like this. The time they spent together was entirely business and serious, usually with the world itself hanging in the balance. This was just..._new._

Chloe was vivacious, light-hearted, and laid back. And as he watched her, making this discovery for the first time, something kept nagging in the back of his head, something Hawkman had said. Something about hiding it when he cared for people. Had it been before or after the embittered hero had tossed Oliver clear through Chloe's window?

That reminded him: he needed to pay to have the stained glass replaced. That was going to cost way more than Chloe's salary would allow for.

He should probably give her a raise. She'd earned it. He thought of her cleaning up all of his cuts after the window incident with a grin. Talk about a bruised ego.

"Ollie!"

He jumped. "What?"

"Oliver, you've been spaced out for a good five minutes. What's going on in that head of yours?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, nothing. What did you say?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, smiling her Mona Lisa type smile--the one that meant she knew something you didn't, or maybe that she knew you were keeping something from her--and said, "I asked if you wanted to come up for some coffee?"

"Yeah, sure," he said, a little surprised. Jeez this whole thing was so weird. A good weird, but weird nonetheless. It was almost like walking a girl home from a date. Almost.

Back in Watchtower, Chloe handed him a mug of warm coffee and he swirled it around in the cup thoughtfully.

"That's for drinking, Arrow. I assume you've seen it before, yes?" He smirked at her sarcasm. It was cute when it wasn't biting, which it generally was when she was stressed out. Not that he minded it then, either, he decided. "Okay, seriously, Ollie. You've barely said a word. What are you thinking about?"

"I don't know. Carter Hall gave me a lot of food for thought."

Chloe nodded, looking around her as she sat down on the small couch beside him. "I know what you mean. Courtney did the same for me."

"Like what?"

"You'll laugh."

"What?" he pressed, grinning.

"I think I'm going to do some remodeling."

He did laugh, surprised.

"I told you!" she admonished, laughing herself. "No, really. The way Courtney was talking about the JSA, I realized we could stand to take a page or two from their book. The first thing I'm going to do is give this place a more welcoming atmosphere. More couches, a little kitchen-type area, some picture frames maybe--"

"Less broken glass," he joked, looking around. There was a definite draft with the gaping hole in the wall. "Which reminds me: it's going to be freezing in this place tonight. Do you want to crash with me for the night, or maybe until the window gets replaced?"

She glanced at him, frowning slightly, but he wasn't looking at her, just at the broken window. "I'll think about it. I might talk to Lois first, but I'll definitely keep it in mind. I love my cousin, but she is a lousy roommate. Thanks," she added as an afterthought.

He shrugged. "No problem. Actually, I'd enjoy the company. I've been going it alone too much lately."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding."

He looked at her and then realized what she meant. "Hey look, just because the magazines are still pinning me to every female I happen to walk past on the street doesn't mean I'm actually sleeping with all of them!"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Right."

"I'm not!"

She only laughed, shaking her head.

"Aw come on, Sidekick, are you going to tell me you don't think I've at least grown up a little bit since the downward spiral last year?"

She studied him through squinted eyes, the corner of her mouth fighting a smile. "I suppose you have."

"You suppose." He rolled his eyes humorously.

"Yeah I do. So anyway what did you and the bird man talk about?"

Oliver thought for a moment before setting his half-drained coffee aside. "Well I know he called me a jackass at some point."

Chloe laughed. "I'm sorry I didn't spend more time with him."

"You are so unkind," he accused.

"And what else is new?" she countered.

"Honestly, why did Clark keep you around all this time? You can't possibly treat him like this."

"Clark isn't a jackass," she pointed out.

"Point," he conceded and she laughed. He sighed, his smile slipping a little. "No, in all seriousness though, the man is something else. He told me about him and his wife--"

Chloe looked at him sharply, but once again he wasn't looking at her, only staring into space.

"He said they'd lived hundreds of different lives, being reincarnated or something. They were doomed to see the other one die again and again."

"Wow." It was the only word that came to mind.

"Yeah. The way he talked about her, too. You should have heard it. Like there had never been anyone else in his world to matter more than her. She was his equal, the one he would choose to be by his side again and again, life after life. They weren't just husband and wife, they were partners. They faced the same battles every day, side by side."

"That's beautiful."

Oliver nodded, raising his eyebrows. "I wonder what that's like, to just_ know_ without question that the person you're with is meant for you. That no matter the circumstances, that person will without fail be there for you. Love that deep doesn't come along everyday."

Chloe shook her head. "No, no it doesn't." She rose from the couch and took her empty mug and his abandoned one away.

He watched her go thoughtfully.

He steeled himself and dared to ask a much too personal question. "Is that what it was like for you and Jimmy?"

She stopped, then she set the mugs aside and leaned against the counter, back still turned from him. "No. No, I wish it had been, but it couldn't be. I've been in love twice in my life, and it wasn't like that either time. With Clark it was because we were young and foolish and my love was a high school girl's unrequited love. With Jimmy the love was mutual, but we weren't equal partners like we should have been. My life was so convoluted with secrets that I couldn't trust him with...It was doomed from the first."

Oliver kicked himself for asking. It was hardly fair of him. "I know what you mean," he said finally, sighing. "I really thought Lois was the one for a while, but it was the same problem. My life was so tangled up with things I didn't want her to get involved with. By the time I realized I should at least trust her with it, it was too late. I guess until Hall talked to me tonight, I'd just sort of given up on the idea. Like maybe people in our racket just shouldn't mess with romance. Seemed kind of impossible to make it work."

"Yeah," Chloe said, turning back around finally, seeming to have gathered herself. She stayed over by the counter.

"Do you believe in soul mates?"

She nodded slowly. "Sometimes. Not always. When I look at people together like Lois and Clark I do. And then, every once in a while, I think it might be possible for the rest of us, too."

"Maybe. Would be nice, wouldn't it?" he sighed, a small smile gracing his features.

"Mmhmm," she said slowly.

"Do you think I hide what I feel about people?" he asked bluntly, before he could stop himself.

"Well yeah," she said matter-of-factly. "Of course you do."

He frowned, startled by how readily she had answered. "Stupid bird man. I was hoping he was wrong about that aspect."

Chloe walked back to him, sitting down and throwing an arm around him. "Oh, Ollie. You already knew that about yourself even if you didn't think of it in that light. For instance, we both know you think the world of Clark. You admire him and occasionally you're even a little jealous of him. However, you treat him with total condescension."

Oliver shook his head, rolling his eyes. "He makes it so _easy_, though!"

Chloe laughed. "You don't have to worry about Clark. He knows you respect him when it comes down to it."

He just chuckled. "Yeah I guess." Then he frowned again. He looked at her. "How do I treat you?"

Chloe shifted uncomfortably, pulling her arm away. "I don't know."

He looked at her skeptically. "Right."

"Well, honestly, you generally treat me like a computer."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"As in, I'm a source of information and not a lot more."

"Chloe--"

"Hey, don't worry about it. I know that's not what you really think of me."

"Yeah but that's no excu--"

"Really, Ollie. It's no big deal. Honestly I'm kind of used to it."

"Well you can get un-used to it. You have permission to hit me the next time I treat you like electronic equipment."

The corner of her lip twitched. "Why do I not believe that will last?"

He persisted. "I'm serious. You said it yourself. We need to take a page out of the JSA's book. Starting right now," he said, "Boy Scout's honor." He raised his right hand, chuckling at the reference to Clark. "I promise to treat you like a human being."

Chloe just rolled her eyes, laughing at him.

"Come on, I'll prove it right now. Forget Lois; you're sleeping at my place tonight. I will make you some really good, really overpriced coffee in the morning, too."

"Uh huh."

"You don't believe me?" his eyebrows shot up, almost enjoying the challenge of proving himself. "Fine," he got up from the couch.

"Where are you going?" she asked, not moving from her seat.

"To your room."

"What?" Her eyes widened.

"I'm packing your bag. Now, which one is your underwear drawer?" he called from her room.

"Oliver!"

"What?" he demanded, still not exiting her room.

"You don't see any reason why it might be inappropriate for me to stay with you?"

She could almost hear the frown in his voice. "No. Why?"

"Ollie, you do realize I'm _female_, don't you?"

There was no response.

"Ollie?"

"I think I just did."

"What?"

"Realize it, I mean."

"Oliver, what are you doing in there?" she said, getting up at last to go after him. When she walked in the room her heart about stopped and then she was doubled-over laughing. He had managed to find her underwear drawer all right.

Oliver was standing with an especially lacy, emerald green bra in his hands, staring wide eyed at the garment. His mouth had gone dry.

"Oliver, put that back," Chloe said amidst her peals of laughter.

He ignored her, still staring at it. "We have a problem."

"What would that be?"

"I'm having trouble _not_ thinking about you as a female now."

"Ollie!" she scolded, finally grabbing the article from him and stuffing it back in the drawer and closing it. She looked up to find him staring at her. Sort of. She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. "Hey, cowboy, I'm up here," she said, pointing at her face in amusement.

" 's no good."

"What is?"

"Putting the bra away. I'm officially going to picture you in that bra every time I see you for the rest of your life."

Chloe laughed. "God help you."

Oliver nodded, eyes still slightly wide. A few thoughts seemed to be rushing through his head. Chloe was female. Something about equal partners. Chloe was an attractive female. Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Chloe was a _girl_. Something about trust being essential. _Chloe was a girl_.

"Ollie? Ollie. Oliver!" Chloe waved her hand in front of his face. "Earth to Green Arrow."

Oliver shook himself. "What?"

"Well, you were discussing what a pig you were and before I could agree you totally spaced out on me."

Oliver just blinked at her.

"Ollie what is up with you?"

He grabbed her forearms, pulled her to him and kissed her. Chloe emitted a muffled sound of surprise, which he ignored. Why this had not occurred to him before, he had no idea. He was planning to chalk it up to stupidity. He released her, still gripping her arms. She just stared at him in shock.

"Umm..."

"Right..."

"That was..."

"We should..."

"Would you mind letting go of my arms now?" Chloe asked pointedly.

He looked at his hands and jumped, letting her go. "Right."

They stared at each other for about a minute.

Then they flew at each other, Chloe flinging her arms around his neck, Oliver grabbing her around the waist and pulling her as close as possible as their lips met in a scorching, long over-due kiss.

"Boy am I stupid," Oliver said, still kissing her.

"You're telling me," Chloe laughed against his lips, to which he responded by squeezing her even more tightly and causing her to squeal. "But what will the children think?" Chloe teased, throwing her head back as he kissed her neck.

"The what?" he asked fuzzily.

"The JL, Oliver."

"That I got first dibs, so they can just get over it," he said frankly.

Chloe laughed mirthfully and he threw her over his shoulder, carrying her around her own room. She kicked her legs and tried to get him to put her down to no avail, giggling all the while.

"Now what stuff do you need? 'cause we're going to my place, like, five minutes ago."


	2. Chapter 2

"What's got you in such a good mood, Chloe?" AC asked.

They were in Watchtower, working on her remodeling plans. AC and Clark had just brought up a second couch in record time. Victor was in the corner installing some kitchen appliances for her around the counter and cabinets that Bart and Clark had built for her. AC had finally asked what they were all dying to know. Chloe had been beaming all morning, and she kept humming under her breath.

"I...don't know. I'm just having a good morning. And it's nice having all of you together when the world _isn't_ ending, you know. I'm glad you were all able to help me with this stuff." She frowned. "However, we seem to be missing someone."

"Ollie's in a meeting," Victor offered up.

"That I knew. I meant Bart. He was here ten minutes ago. Where'd he go?"

A gust of wind nearly knocked her off her feet, and Chloe clutched her heart in surprise.

"Waitin' on you to miss me, 'Chloelicious!" Bart kissed her on the cheek. Chloe laughed. "And, I come bearing gifts!" Bart announced. He sped around the room. "Cheeseburger for Clarky, fresh off the grill," he dropped a take-out bag in Clark's hands.

"Thanks, Bart," Clark said with a surprised expression on his face.

"Seafood pasta for AC," he dropped the foil take out box in front of a horrified AC. "Just kiddin' man, it's veggie. Chicago deep dish pizza for Vic," he tossed the box to Victor who caught it happily.

"Sweet." Chloe thought she actually heard Victor's stomach grumble at the very thought.

"Box of oreo cookies in case the Martian shows up after all," Bart tossed the cookies on the table. "For me, of course, legit Mexicana," he lifted a bag of burritos happily, "And, last but never least, the finest Parisian coffee for my favorite lady." He handed her the coffee with a flourish. "Bossman told me where to get it."

Chloe grinned. "Thank you, Bart. This was really sweet."

"No big. Coffee was Bossman's idea, like I said. I just figured while I was out, I'd pick up everyone else's favorites."

Chloe rewarded him with a peck on the cheek.

To everyone's surprise, Bart vanished. They stared around the room blinking at each other with confused expressions. Two minutes later he reappeared with a second cup of coffee and an expectant expression on his face. Chloe laughed and gave him a second peck but told him that was quite enough.

"We all could probably stand a little break, I guess," she said, sitting down on a stool.

"Did you want some actual food, 'licious? Cuz I can make a third run," Bart offered.

"Not necessary, Bart," Oliver's voice said from the doorframe. Chloe turned to see him carrying two bags in his hand. "Chinese take-out," he said. "My meeting got out a little early so I thought I'd grab some for us."

He walked over to Chloe and gave her a swift kiss on the lips as she took one of the bags from him. She opened it and rummaged through it a little. "Oh, sesame chicken, my favorite."

"I know," Oliver said smugly. "Have I mentioned you look especially pretty today?"

"It's the green," Chloe said, a smile playing on her lips.

He frowned. "You're not wearing gr--" He stopped, swallowing tightly. "_Oh_." He paused. He had that feeling...the one that everyone in the room was staring at him. He looked up slowly and then stifled a smirk. Sure enough the room had gone completely silent and all eyes were on him and Chloe. Clark's mouth was open. AC was gawking. Victor had a slice of pizza in his mouth and had stopped mid-bite. And Bart, Bart was absolutely dumbstruck.

"What?" Chloe asked.

AC snorted. " 'What' indeed."

"Dude," Victor said through the pizza in his mouth, his voice a higher pitch than usual, pointing from Oliver to Chloe. "When the heck--"

"Did you two--" Clark frowned.

"HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME 'LICIOUS?" Bart cried, interrupting the others.

"Oh, Bart," Chloe tousled his hair, giggling. "Don't worry. You'll always be my number one boy." He looked slightly placated. Or, at any rate, he plopped down on one of the couches and started chomping on a burrito, looking from Chloe to Oliver, watching them like one might watch a movie.

"Hey," Oliver said. "What does that make me?"

Chloe grinned. "Something in an entirely separate category." Oliver quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I'm not sure how I feel about this," Clark said, the crease between his eyebrows deepening.

"Who asked out who?" AC demanded.

"Uh...well I guess I asked Chloe out," Oliver said. He assumed kissing her the previous night at complete random constituted more or less the same thing.

Victor groaned.

"Pay up, man," AC said to him. "You owe me twenty."

"Man, Chloe, I had such faith," Victor shook his head at her, rummaging in his pockets.

"What exactly was the bet?" Oliver asked, confused.

"I bet Vic that you'd ask Chloe out before she asked you out. Safe bet."

"Yeah, but let's face it, Chloe's totally the one who always needs to be in control," Victor said, handing over the money, which AC pocketed.

"This reminds me, Lois is gonna owe me thirty," he said.

"Lois is in on this, too?" Chloe said, looking unsure as to whether to laugh or not.

"Yeah. I bet her you'd get together before the year was up."

"What did she think?" Chloe asked, chuckling.

"That you two'd be old and crippled before you caught on."

Oliver shook his head. Sounded like Lois, all right.

"Am I the only one that's concerned about this?" Clark asked.

"Yes," Victor, AC, Ollie, and Chloe all said at once. Bart was the only one who said "No."

Clark shook his head at the ceiling.

"Aw, Bart, you don't approve?" Chloe teased.

"I approve. I'm just insanely jealous and broken-hearted," he grinned, proving himself to be otherwise. "You just know where to go if he's not meeting your needs, 'licious."

"That's enough, Bart," Oliver said, a protective instinct flaring as he took a step closer to Chloe, and, incidentally, between her and Bart.

Chloe laughed. "Okay, boys. Don't make me put you two in separate corners."

Moments later Jon Jon'z appeared in the doorway. "Hi everyone; I had a spare moment and I thought I'd stop by and see how the remodeling was going. Looks good. Did I miss anything?" he asked, looking around. Then, "Ooh, oreos," he walked over to the table where the cookies were lying in wait for him.

Oliver had to laugh. "Why do I feel like I'm part of some huge, dysfunctional family?"

Chloe shrugged. "Probably because you are. I know I generally feel like some sort of den mother."

Oliver grinned. "What does that make me?."

"I don't know. Pack leader?" she suggested.

"I'm good with that." He grabbed her hand and kissed her cheek, lacing their fingers together. Chloe glowed.

Jon watched the two of them, cookie in hand, eyebrows up. "You two get together, then?" he asked.

Oliver nodded.

"About time. Clark, tell your girlfriend she owes me forty-five dollars."

"Oh brother," Clark sighed, resigning himself. He supposed it could have been worse.

Fitting, because Chloe and Oliver were both thinking that the only way it could have been better would have been if they'd figured it out sooner.


End file.
